Friday, December 14, 2007

2008 is just around the corner and I hope that you’ve all planned out your ‘08 cycling season with some achievable short and long term goals. Here are a few recommendations to help keep your Winter training season on track:

Riding at lower intensities in the Winter (below your Anaerobic Threshold - AT) for longer periods (1-4 hours) is the key to a high performance season. This is called Long, Slow Distance (or LSD) training.

During Quad # 1 resist the urge to put your HR into the red zone (over AT) for extended periods of time. Many spin and indoor cycling classes put you through the grinder every workout without thinking of an overall season plan. Take an easier “Rest Week” once every month or work it into a busy/travel period in your schedule.

Periodize Your Season:

Divide the 12 month year in 4 Quadrants depending on when you want your best performance. As an example for a typical July/August peak: